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City on the Edge of Forever

Trekker4747

Boldly going...
Premium Member
This is an awesome, awesome, wonderful and glorious episode.

If I was trapped on a deserted island (with a TV and DVD player) this is the ONE episode I would be happy to have to watch over and over again for all eternity.

I just love this episode. It's damn-near perfect.
 
It does have so many good elements in it... and Joan Collins shines as Edith Keeler.

However, it is quite a stretch that McCoy would be able to escape from the Enterprise in such a delirious state. To have the clarity of mind to operate the transporter... given his character, you'd think he wouldn't even know how to operate it.

I'd see it more plausible like this: McCoy is running around the decks, knocks over someone with a phaser, and takes the phaser weapon. He then storms into the transporter room and forces the technician to beam him down. One could argue that the transporter tech could just load him into the pattern buffer and hold him there until security arrives, then rematerialize him on the platform and stun him. But you could have a young technician who panics and just does what the doctor demands of him--beaming down to the surface.

Of course, then there's the peculiarity of where people get geographically positioned when they travel to a particular time. Why that particular spot and not somewhere else? I do like how Kirk and Spock appear just before McCoy does, to prepare for him. The leeway of a few days makes sense due to the lack of precision with physically leaping into the portal.

Otherwise, I think most of the other elements work rather well.
 
Wonderful, wonderful episode! Perfect plot, great acting, genuine emotion - makes you feel for Kirk each time.
 
Excellent point. It definitely had an element of real love that was generally lacking in most of Kirk's relationships. I think it's important to keep in mind just how amazing that show was capable of being on such a tight budget.
 
One of my favorites and like noted above one of the most credible relationships too.
 
Overrated to the max. I can think of a dozen episodes off the top of my head I would rather have over COTEOF:

The Cage
Doomsday Machine
Balance of Terror
Where No Man Has Gone Before
The Naked Time
Journey To Babel
Amok Time
The Ultimate Computer
Mirror, Mirror
Court Martial
Space Seed
Turnabout Intruder
 
It's a good list. My favourites are similar, except I'd take out The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before, Turnabout Intruder (I don't think it's that great), and The Ultimate Computer (that was hard to take out). They're great eps, but not, top ten material, IMO. And the Enterprise Incident and The Deadly Years are great. They need top 15 mention.

Doomsday Machine
Balance of Terror
The Naked Time
Journey To Babel
Amok Time
Mirror, Mirror
Court Martial
Space Seed
The Trouble with Tribbles
The City on the Edge of Forever
 
I think Tribbles is pretty overrated.. Turnabout Intruder makes my list for the sheer brilliance of Shatner's over the top performance. I couldn't live on a desert island without it.
 
I often think about the "let me help" bit, I think there may be something to that.

Y'know, Star Trek made a lot of statements about the human condition in its time but that one has haunted me since I was a child. Even when young, I could both understand and recognize the power of that simple idea. If ever there was a believable portrayal of the mythical future, its in Kirk's comments that "about a hundred years or so from now" someone would immortalize that phrase and concept.
 
My favorite episode by far. I wonder if Kirk would allow Edith to die if he knew about the "alternate timeline" thing?
 
Great episode, but I think i'd rather take Amok Time or Journey to Babel with me. Though it's a tough choice!

To me, Journey to Babel is one of the underrated classics of TOS. It really helped expand the mythology of the Federation, along with giving key insight into one of its key characters, along with being just a helluva entertaining episode!
 
It's easy to see why Kirk would fall in love with Edith Keeler. Who wouldn't?

Lovely, beautiful woman who was naive and centuries before her time. :)

It's easily his most credible intimate relationship in the series. That helps make it work.

Well at least it's a lot better than that horrid Rayna affair...ugh..I wish they would of remastered that right out.

Great episode, but I think i'd rather take Amok Time or Journey to Babel with me. Though it's a tough choice!

Seriously...how could we choose 1 episode for a deserted island situation...? IMO that's an impossible choice....I'd have to have AT LEAST a full season or I will have to refuse to be marooned!!!
 
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